WASHINGTON (AP) – Investors could lose principal from money market investment funds that perform poorly under regulations proposed Wednesday by the Securities and Exchange Commission. But the change would affect mainly institutional rather than individual investors.

2. Obama Threatens Veto of House Student Loan Plan - Thursday, May 23, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is threatening to veto House Republicans' student loan bill.

The White House Budget Office said Wednesday the GOP plan does not guarantee current low interest rates for students and creates uncertainty for them. The budget office says that if Obama were presented the current bill, officials would urge a veto.

3. Senate Panel Approves Massive Farm Bill - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Senate Agriculture Committee has approved a massive five-year farm bill that would cut spending while also creating new subsidies for farmers.

The legislation approved 15-5 by the panel on Tuesday includes concessions to Southern rice and peanut farmers, thanks to a new top Republican on the committee, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran. The bill eliminates $5 billion in annual subsidies called direct payments that are important to those Southern farmers but makes it easier for them to receive alternate subsidies if prices dip.

4. Record Profit Signals Healthier Fannie Mae - Friday, May 10, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fannie Mae said something Thursday that would have been unthinkable a few years ago: It earned a record $58.7 billion profit in the January-March quarter.

And it made clear it's on the cusp of repaying taxpayers for one of the most expensive bailouts of a single company in the financial crisis.

5. Fallout for States Rejecting Medicaid Expansion - Tuesday, April 23, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Rejecting the Medicaid expansion in the federal health care law could have unexpected consequences for states where Republican lawmakers remain steadfastly opposed to what they scorn as "Obamacare."

6. International Paper Talking Xpedx Merger - Monday, April 22, 2013

Memphis-based International Paper Co. acknowledged Monday that it is in talks with Unisource about a possible merger of Unisource and IP’s xpedx printing distribution business.

7. Fannie's Record Profit a Symbol of Housing Rebound - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Home prices are up. Foreclosures are down. Construction is up. And now comes the latest sign of the U.S. home market's revival: Fannie Mae, the mortgage giant that nearly collapsed five years ago, has earned its biggest yearly profit ever.

8. Panera Trying New Pay-What-You-Want Experiment - Thursday, March 28, 2013

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Order a bowl of turkey chili at a St. Louis-area Panera Bread cafe and it'll cost you a penny. Or $5. Or $100. In other words, whatever you decide.

Three years after launching the first of five pay-what-you-want cafes, the suburban St. Louis-based chain on Wednesday quietly began its latest charitable venture that takes the concept on a trial run to all 48 cafes in the St. Louis region.

9. Tennessee Lawmakers Want to Decide US Senate Nominees - Thursday, March 28, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – The Republican and Democratic caucuses of the General Assembly would decide Tennessee's nominees to the U.S. Senate under a bill headed for a vote in the state Senate.

10. High Court Takes on a New Affirmative Action Case - Tuesday, March 26, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court's decision to hear a new case from Michigan on the politically charged issue of affirmative action offers an intriguing hint that the justices will not use a separate challenge already pending from Texas for a broad ruling bringing an end to the consideration of race in college admissions.

11. House Approves Bill Preventing Shutdown March 27 - Thursday, March 07, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican-controlled House approved legislation Wednesday to prevent a government shutdown on March 27 and blunt the impact of newly imposed spending cuts on the Defense Department.

12. Justices Voice Skepticism of Voting Rights Law - Thursday, February 28, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court's conservative justices voiced deep skepticism Wednesday about a section of a landmark civil rights law that has helped millions of Americans exercise their right to vote.

13. Shift From Monologue to Dialogue - Wednesday, February 27, 2013

For more than a decade, companies have slowly shifted their focus to fit an era of deep consumer engagement. They have begun to embrace social media management, and they are better integrating print and TV campaigns with their online and social media presence. Unfortunately, it’s not enough.

14. Small Business Administration Head Mills to Depart - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Karen Mills, the head of the Small Business Administration as it focused on helping small companies recover from the Great Recession, is stepping down.

15. Parking Lot Guns Bill to Be Up in State Senate - Friday, February 08, 2013

A bill seeking to guarantee people with handgun-carry permits can store firearms in their vehicles no matter where they are parked is expected to be on the Senate floor early next week.

The chief Senate clerk told The Associated Press on Thursday that the measure is to be discussed Monday night. The House Civil Justice Subcommittee is scheduled to take the measure up on Wednesday.

16. Parking Lot Guns Bill Sponsor Says He Misspoke - Tuesday, February 05, 2013

The main House sponsor of a bill seeking to guarantee handgun permit holders the right to store firearms in their vehicles says he misspoke when he suggested that he routinely breaks the law.

Republican Rep. Jeremy Faison of Cosby told WPLN-FM that while he’s never obtained a state-issued permit, he’s “carried a gun all (his) life.”

17. Schools Must Provide Sports for Disabled, US Says - Monday, January 28, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Students with disabilities must be given a fair shot to play on a traditional sports team or have their own leagues, the Education Department says.

Disabled students who want to play for their school could join traditional teams if officials can make "reasonable modifications" to accommodate them. If those adjustments would fundamentally alter a sport or give the student an advantage, the department is directing the school to create parallel athletic programs that have comparable standing to traditional programs.

18. Why Geithner's Treasury Leadership Proved Divisive - Friday, January 25, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama has saluted the outgoing Timothy Geithner as one of the best U.S. Treasury secretaries ever. He's surely been among the most contentious.

Not since the Great Depression had an administration inherited so many grave financial threats at once. To many, Geithner deserves credit for helping steady the banking system and helping restore investor confidence. Yet his toughest critics say Geithner's policies consistently favored big banks over ordinary struggling Americans.

19. Follow These Steps for Viral Video Success - Tuesday, January 15, 2013

My sister lives in South Korea. She doesn’t get to come home often, but what she discovered on a visit a few months ago baffled her. Gangnam Style was sweeping the U.S. At first, she was confused. She said it was a popular dance in South Korean clubs, and she’d heard it on Korean radio. But that did not explain why I was asking her to teach me the dance during a TV timeout at a football game at LSU last fall.

20. UPS Abandons $6.9 Billion Takeover for TNT Express - Monday, January 14, 2013

AMSTERDAM (AP) – Shares in package delivery company TNT Express NV lost almost half their value Monday after that United Parcel Service Inc. had decided to ditch its €5.2 billion ($6.9 billion) takeover of the struggling Dutch company, citing objections from European regulators.

21. Juvenile Court Agreement Emphasizes Details - Monday, December 24, 2012

Less than 24 hours before the U.S. Justice Department and Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court leaders announced a detailed set of reforms and safeguards to guarantee changes in the court, Shelby County Commissioners met behind closed doors with those involved in the local side of the deal.

22. Christmas Coming Home - Friday, December 21, 2012

CHRISTMAS TIME Every Christmas I tell this story, and in the telling Christmas comes home.

It was my first time to England and overseas, and prime time for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Soho.

23. Bioworks Seeks to Restore Hotel - Thursday, December 20, 2012

Memphis Bioworks Foundation is working to renovate the old Holiday Inn building in Memphis Medical Center into a mixed-use facility.

Brandon Wellford, chief financial officer and director of real estate for Memphis Bioworks Foundation, said the vision is to redevelop the 12-story property with hotel space on the top; apartments for Memphis Medical Center students, staff and faculty in the mid-levels; and retail on the ground floor.

24. Juvenile Court Reform Plan Announced - Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday, Dec. 18, an agreement with Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court that will put the Shelby County Public Defenders office in the role of defending juveniles who cannot afford to hire an attorney for court proceedings.

25. Narrow 'Fiscal Cliff' Bargain Gains Currency - Monday, December 17, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Hopes dimming for a wide-ranging bargain, the White House and many congressional Republicans are setting their sights on a more modest deal that would extend current tax rates for most Americans, raise rates for top earners and leave other, vexing issues for the new year.

26. Report: Managers at Fannie, Freddie Earned $200,000 - Tuesday, December 11, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government report finds median pay for nearly 2,000 senior managers at government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac exceeded $200,000 last year.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the two mortgage giants, also did an inadequate job monitoring pay, according to the report released Monday from the inspector general for the FHFA.

27. Senate Bill Would Extend Deposit Insurance Program - Tuesday, December 11, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — To prevent a possible run on banks at the height of the financial crisis four years ago, Congress expanded government insurance for certain bank deposits to include totals above the usual $250,000 limit. Now that the ceiling is about to be re-imposed, community banks fear they'll lose customers to bigger banks and want Congress to come to their rescue.

28. Johnson’s Breakout Game Sparks Resounding Victory - Friday, December 07, 2012

Any metaphorical picture of the Tigers’ Geron Johnson requires that he hold a basketball in one hand and baggage in the other.

He can never just be another college basketball player. Too much history, too much talent, too much potential to change the fortunes of this University of Memphis season.

29. Is Going Green Worth It? - Thursday, December 06, 2012

Ray’s Take No matter what your position on global warming, going green and using fewer natural resources still makes sense. Why not preserve as much quality of the air, water, and earth as possible for our grandchildren? It’s another form of saving for the future. Plus, a lot of times it can save you money as well.

30. White House: Tax Hike Threat Could Hurt Retailers - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – White House economists warned Monday that the uncertainty of a potential hike in taxes next year for middle class taxpayers under the looming fiscal cliff could hurt consumer confidence during the crucial holiday shopping season.

31. Tuohy Shares Story at Lipscomb Pitts Event - Monday, November 19, 2012

Some stories are so powerful that they don’t seem to get old, no matter how often they’re repeated.

That’s the effect Sean Tuohy’s remarks seemed to have on a crowd gathered for an evening reception Thursday, Nov. 15, at Independent Bank’s office tower in East Memphis.

32. City Could Reconsider Sales Tax Hike - Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Just days after voters in Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County voted down the idea of a half-cent countywide sales tax hike, there was renewed talk at Memphis City Hall about a citywide sales tax hike.

33. Fannie, Freddie Expand Aid to Storm-Hit Homeowners - Monday, November 12, 2012

MCLEAN, Va. (AP) – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are expanding their assistance to borrowers whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Superstorm Sandy.

The government-controlled mortgage companies said Friday that they will automatically suspend evictions and foreclosures in disaster areas for 90 days.

34. Wal-Mart Raises Stake for Holiday Season's Start - Friday, November 09, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Attention frustrated Black Friday shoppers who can never grab that hot product: Wal-Mart is hoping to relieve some of that anxiety.

The world's largest retailer is throwing its doors open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, two hours earlier than a year ago. It's also guaranteeing shoppers that it will have three of the most popular items it sells if they line up inside the store during a one-hour event that day.

35. Challenges Await New Grizzlies Owner - Friday, November 09, 2012

The professional sports clock has its own idea of time. We were reminded of this when NBA Commissioner David Stern came to Memphis for the Grizzlies’ home opener Nov. 5, which also served as a welcoming party for new franchise chairman Robert Pera.

36. Momentum Builds for Crosstown Plan - Monday, November 05, 2012

If you are looking for the real promise of the Crosstown project, don’t look up. Look at the areas just beyond the boundaries of the old Sears Crosstown building.

For many long time Memphians, the present landscape is now informed largely by memories of what used to be around the mammoth big store.

37. Ubiquiti Gets High Marks From Leading Service Provider - Thursday, November 01, 2012

Ubiquiti Networks Inc. announced Tuesday, Oct. 30, that it’s the official hardware provider for Florida-based Sling Broadband, a leading Internet service provider in more than 30 major markets nationwide.

38. Half-Penny For Their Thoughts - Friday, October 26, 2012

FULL OF HOPE.

See the children. See them run.

See the children. See them play.

See the children. See them see.

See the children. See them learn.

See the children. See all that’s possible.

39. School Board To Make Stand On Tax Hike - Thursday, October 25, 2012

When the countywide school board votes next week on a resolution to endorse a half-cent countywide sales tax hike, the vote will not be unanimous.

And the resolution that backs the tax hike on the Nov. 6 ballot will not guarantee that the $30 million from the tax hike that goes to local education will be used for pre- kindergarten access for all children.

40. Mississippi Says No Thanks to Medicaid Expansion Dollars - Friday, October 19, 2012

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi has long been one of the sickest and poorest states in America, with some of the highest rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease and more than 1 in 7 residents without insurance. And so you might think Mississippi would jump at the prospect of billions of federal dollars to expand Medicaid.

41. University of Memphis Law School Makes Hires - Thursday, October 11, 2012

New faces are becoming a familiar part of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

The school, which is closing in on its 50th anniversary celebration later this month, is in the midst of a health law initiative. It’s looking for a professor who will start up a health law program there.

42. Rudy Gay Promises More; Memphis Waits to See - Friday, October 05, 2012

When is good not good enough?

In the case of the Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay, about to start his seventh season in Memphis, it is the question that echoes, echoes, echoes. It gets phrased different ways and we search for different avenues that might allow Rudy Gay to go to that elusive “next level.”

43. Government Leaders Tout Sales Tax Hike - Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Just before Shelby County Commission chairman Mike Ritz and others announced a political coalition in favor of a countywide sales tax hike on the Nov. 6 ballot, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell approached Ritz.

44. High Court Begins New Term With Human Rights Case - Tuesday, October 02, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court opened its new term Monday with a high-stakes dispute between businesses and human rights groups over accountability for foreign atrocities.

The justices appeared ready to impose new limits on lawsuits brought in U.S. courts over human rights violations abroad.

45. Sales Tax to Fund Pre-Kindergarten for County’s Students - Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Proponents of a countywide half-cent sales tax hike are promising pre-kindergarten access for all children in Shelby County if voters approve the proposed tax hike on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., who had opposed the sales tax hike, announced Monday, Oct. 1, that he now favors the measure as long as the money goes to “universal pre-k” in Shelby County.

46. Funding Approved for Felon Program - Thursday, September 06, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s administration is retooling the city’s “Second Chance” program for felons just released from prison to become a joint city-county program with funding from the state.

47. Mays Opens Hearings On Municipal Schools With Testimony - Wednesday, September 05, 2012

The first of two days of testimony in the federal court case over the state laws setting up municipal school districts ended with a lot of reading material for U.S. District Court Judge Hardy Mays.

48. Pickups Drive US Auto Sales in August - Wednesday, September 05, 2012

DETROIT (AP) – Strong pickup demand fueled a big jump in U.S. auto sales last month.

GM's August U.S. sales rose 10 percent compared with a year earlier, while Ford's rose 13 percent and Chrysler's 14 percent.

49. Farm Subsidies, FBI, Air Controllers Face Big Cuts - Wednesday, August 15, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Come January, be prepared for fewer air traffic controllers, FBI agents, border patrol officers and park rangers, as well as lower farm and winter heating subsidies. Less meat might get inspected. Furloughs will likely sweep across the government. Even the weather service could be affected.

50. 50 Years Of SRVS - Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Last week we shared a story submitted by Mike Bowen, CEO and president of Champion Awards & Apparel, which spotlighted “late bloomers” and was a testament for how someone’s past does not have to predict his or her future. This week let us discuss an organization that is celebrating 50 years of enhancing the lives of people with disabilities and bringing peace of mind to their families: SRVS.

51. Consumer Finance Agency Sets Mortgage Protections - Monday, August 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The government's consumer lending watchdog proposed new rules Friday aimed at protecting homeowners from unexpected costs and shoddy service by companies that collect their monthly mortgage payments.

52. Fannie Mae Posts $2.2B Net Gain for Q2 - Thursday, August 09, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fannie Mae earned $2.2 billion from April through June, its second quarterly gain in net income since being taken over by the government during the 2008 financial crisis.

53. Haslam: Too Soon to Tell on Parking Lot Guns Bill - Thursday, August 09, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam says it's too early to tell whether the defeat of House Republican Caucus Chairwoman Debra Maggart in last week's primary will cause lawmakers to usher through a gun bill championed by the National Rifle Association.

54. Freddie Mac Posts $1.2B Net Income for Q2 - Wednesday, August 08, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Government-controlled mortgage giant Freddie Mac posted net income of $1.2 billion for the second quarter and isn't requesting any additional federal aid for the period.

55. City’s Past Filled with Blueprint of Success - Monday, August 06, 2012

Go to any public meeting where plans for an area are being made, buzz words are flying, big sheets of paper are being written on and “stakeholders” are sitting in various clusters, and you will hear numerous people suggest that all the area needs are spaces for shops.

56. BioDimensions Makes Move to Agricenter - Monday, July 30, 2012

The Memphis biomass start-up that has focused on developing sweet sorghum as a fuel now has a financial partner who believes in the future of ethanol as a fuel.

BioDimensions Delta BioRenewables LLC recently moved to Agricenter International from the Whiteville, Tenn., cotton gin that has been home to the three-year-old undertaking.

57. Master the Art of Compromise In Lease Negotiations - Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Every lease transaction involves two key parties – a landlord and a tenant. Each party has his or her own objectives.

Generally, landlords want to minimize costs, maximize revenues and mitigate risks. These things are most likely to occur when landlords are able to find good, credit-worthy, long-term clients who don’t demand outlandish tenant improvements, as well as tenants who consistently pay rent on time. Tenants want to minimize their costs, get move-in-ready space and obtain flexible lease terms that protect them in unforeseen circumstances, like the ability to sublease if downsizing needs to occur, etc.

58. Consultant’s Advice For Memphis: Fly Delta - Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The advice seemed to take aim at the most tender part of the raw nerve running through the recent civic discussion about Delta Air Lines Inc.’s cuts in air service at Memphis International Airport and the higher fares that have come with the cuts.

59. It’s All Ours - Friday, July 13, 2012

TURNS OUT, WE HAVE A PLAN. READ IT. If you sat down at the proverbial kitchen table – in fact, if every one of us sat down at your kitchen table – and made a top-10 list of what should be the guiding principles of our public schools, you might wonder just what we’d come up with.

60. Schools Referendum Foes Face Heavy Legal Burden - Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners seeking to stop the referendums on municipal school districts have a heavy legal burden going into Thursday’s hearing on the matter in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

61. New Law Gives US Companies a Break on Pensions - Tuesday, July 10, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A new law will let companies contribute billions of dollars less to their workers' pension funds, raising concerns about weakening the plans that millions of Americans count on for retirement.

62. Consolidation Looks to Move Forward Minus Cash - Thursday, June 21, 2012

The countywide school board got the highly anticipated process of selecting the superintendent of the consolidated school system to come off to a contradictory start this week.

The practical effect of the Tuesday, June 19, school board vote not to renew the contract of Memphis City Schools superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash is that Cash probably won’t be running the transition into and at least the start of the merged school district, which begins in August 2013.

63. School Board Votes Not To Renew Cash's Contract - Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The countywide school board voted Tuesday, June 19, not to renew the contract of Memphis City Schools superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash past August 2013 when it is scheduled to run out.

The 14-8 vote came during two back-to-back school board meetings covering five hours in which the board also agreed to talk more about a process for selecting the superintendent of the consolidated school system to come at a meeting next week.

64. Trial, Error Led Local Writer to Gray Man Series - Friday, June 15, 2012

In the modern American thriller, the good guys don’t come much tougher than Court Gentry.

He is an ex-CIA super spy forced to elude waves of hit teams, survive a shoot-on-sight sanction from the CIA and tussle with crime bosses, drug lords and plenty of other baddies thanks to the hyper-kinetic imagination of Memphis writer Mark Greaney.

65. AIRfair? - Monday, June 11, 2012

Two frequent-flyer businessmen booked side-by-side seats on Delta Air Lines flights from Minneapolis to St. Louis last month, with one of them getting charged a higher price than the other each time they tried booking it.

66. Greek Drama Playing Out on World’s Stage - Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Flashback-ish Welcome back to 2011. Global growth jitters have returned, the U.S. has re-engaged in fiscal brinkmanship and the fate of the euro is back in question. Will 2012 be any different than 2011? Perhaps. This time Greece is not fighting to remain in the euro, it’s fighting to withdraw.

67. Forced to Fly Solo, Even on Family Vacations - Tuesday, May 22, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – If you’re flying this summer, be prepared to kiss your family goodbye at the gate. Even if they’re on the same plane.

Airlines are reserving a growing number of window and aisle seats for passengers willing to pay extra. That’s helping to boost revenue but also making it harder for friends and family members who don’t pay this fee to sit next to each other. At the peak of the summer travel season, it might be nearly impossible.

68. Ritz: Districts Will See Cost Run-Ups - Thursday, May 17, 2012

Shelby County Commissioner Mike Ritz said municipal school districts could cost suburban towns and cities much more in expenses and taxes than initially estimated.

Ritz rolled out his critique of the numbers in the reports from earlier this year by Southern Educational Strategies LLC for each of the six suburban towns and cities in Shelby County.

69. Tenn. Lawmakers Still Trying to Conclude Business - Tuesday, May 01, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – Tennessee lawmakers edged closer Sunday to adjourning several weeks earlier than usual, but they continued to engage in end-of-session wrangling as intense as ever.

Budget disagreements between the two chambers led to the first conference committee on the spending plan since the acrimonious debate over the income tax more than a decade ago.

70. Marohn: Cultivate, Don’t Hunt Growth - Monday, April 30, 2012

It clearly wasn’t something done professionally. Chuck Marohn called the pavement markings in the Broad Avenue Arts District “guerilla art.”

“They went out with a bucket of paint,” he said as he showed a slide last week of the bicycle lane markings and parking space markings. “It looks like maybe my daughter did it. I love it. You have this labor of love out there by people who live there. … And all of a sudden you have businesses starting to open. Commerce is starting to take place.”

71. Grizzlies Shift Focus To Playoff Grit, Grind - Friday, April 27, 2012

As the shortened but grueling NBA season was winding itself down into so many ugly wins over mere Hornets, Bobcats and Cavaliers, the Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay looked back and summed up the journey.

72. Wharton Budget Plan Includes Alternatives To 47 Cent Tax Hike - Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. took a $628.3 million city operating budget proposal Tuesday, April 17 to the Memphis City Council with a 47-cent property tax hike proposed to meet the city’s obligation to fund Memphis City Schools.

73. Bryant Gets Bill Allowing Private Pay to MDA Chief - Friday, April 13, 2012

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Private donors could again boost the salary of Mississippi's state economic development director, under a plan that House members sent Wednesday to Gov. Phil Bryant.

74. Tenn. House Advances Gun Bills - Wednesday, April 11, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – The House has rushed four bills out of subcommittee to guarantee workers the right to store firearms in vehicles parked on company lots.

The measures were advanced to the full Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee on Tuesday after a truncated debate.

75. City Council Approves $9M Stadium Improvements - Thursday, April 05, 2012

The idea of advancing city money with several layers of other funding from sources other than City Hall at a later date surfaced again this week at City Hall.

The Memphis City Council approved on Tuesday, April 3, a $9 million deal to make improvements to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

76. Council Approves Liberty Bowl Upgrade Financing - Wednesday, April 04, 2012

The Memphis City Council approved up to $9 million in financing Tuesday, April 3, for improvements to the Liberty Bowl that come with the University of Memphis Tigers football team moving to the Big East athletic conference.

77. Haslam, Ramsey Wary of Guns in Parking Lots Bill - Tuesday, April 03, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey are among the prominent Republicans trying to put the brakes on a bill seeking to guarantee employees the right to store their firearms in vehicles parked at work.

78. Investment Firm Gets All Clear From SEC - Thursday, March 29, 2012

Despite getting a formal alert from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2009 that the federal agency might bring a civil enforcement action against the firm, Memphis-based investment firm Consulting Services Group has now been told by an SEC regional office that no such action will be coming.

79. Memphis Investment Firm Gets All-Clear From SEC - Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Despite getting a formal alert from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2009 that the federal agency might bring a civil enforcement action against the firm, Memphis-based investment firm Consulting Services Group has now been told by an SEC regional office that no such action will be forthcoming.

80. US Watchdog Questions Spending at Fannie, Freddie - Friday, March 23, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A U.S. government watchdog is questioning $600,000 that taxpayer-funded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac spent on an October convention, according to a report released Thursday.

81. Easy to Get Lost In Redistricting Mess - Monday, March 19, 2012

The once-a-decade redistricting season may be drawing to a close four or five months later than it was supposed to.

The district lines for the Shelby County Commission will probably be set in a courtroom across the street from the County Administration Building.

82. NRA Aims to Shoot Down Parking Lot Gun Exceptions - Wednesday, March 07, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – The National Rifle Association is pressuring Republican lawmakers to abandon proposed limitations to a measure that would let workers store firearms in vehicles parked on their employers' lots.

83. Fannie Asks Gov't for Almost $4.6B After Q4 Loss - Thursday, March 01, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Mortgage giant Fannie Mae said Wednesday that it lost money in the fourth quarter and is asking the federal government for nearly $4.6 billion in aid to cover its deficit.

84. Miconi Finds Success During First Year - Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Start-up firm Miconi Project Management has completed several projects in the Memphis area in recent months, and has more in the pipeline.

Warren Miconi founded the firm on April 1. It provides real estate project management and consulting services to clients with operations in Mississippi and the Mid-South.

85. Garrett Finds Banking Home at Metropolitan - Monday, February 27, 2012

Do something that makes you happy, and if it’s banking, always deliver on your promises. That sums up the professional philosophy of Maria Garrett, a recent hire at Metropolitan Bank who brought 12 years of industry experience to her new job as a senior managing director.

86. Lawmakers Lament Governor's Civil Service Bill - Thursday, February 23, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – Lawmakers are lamenting Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to change Tennessee's civil service law, saying it would eliminate preference given to military veterans.

Currently, preference is given to veterans and spouses of veterans who are applying for such jobs.

87. Gov't Seeks Smaller Role for Fannie, Freddie - Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The government regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has submitted a plan to Congress that would shrink the mortgage giants’ role in the housing market.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s proposal for a leaner Fannie and Freddie was released Tuesday, Feb. 21, and would mean fewer mortgages are backed by the government. That could make buying a home more expensive because it would lead to higher interest rates. Under the plan, Fannie and Freddie could increase its prices to guarantee loans and establish agreements with private investors to take on added credit risk.

88. Obama Takes Tougher Stance on Higher Education - Tuesday, February 21, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Access to college has been the driving force in federal higher education policy for decades. But the Obama administration is pushing a fundamental agenda shift that aggressively brings a new question into the debate: What are people getting for their money?

89. Dutch Logistics Co. TNT Rejects UPS' $6.43B Bid - Monday, February 20, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – United Parcel Service, the world's largest package delivery company, said Friday it is still in talks to acquire TNT Express even after the Dutch package delivery company rejected a $6.43 billion bid.

90. Transportation Boosted to Top of Political Agenda - Wednesday, February 15, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – After years of procrastination, the White House and Congress have suddenly boosted a long-term plan to improve the nation's roads, bridges and transit systems to the top of the political agenda.

91. AT&T Customers Surprised by 'Unlimited Data' Limit - Tuesday, February 14, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Mike Trang likes to use his iPhone 4 as a GPS device, helping him get around in his job. Now and then, his younger cousins get ahold of it, and play some YouTube videos and games.

92. U of M Lands Big East Invitation - Thursday, February 09, 2012

It got done. Not on the timetable originally envisioned and not without much angst along the way. But that’s old news overtaken by better news:

As of July 1, 2013, the University of Memphis will officially be a competitor in the Big East.

93. Commission Tries Again at Redistricting - Monday, February 06, 2012

The votes are still close on the Shelby County Commission as the group takes the first vote Monday, Feb. 6, on its third try at redistricting.

The plan that’s up for the first of three readings is a conversion of the 13-member, five-district body to 13 single-member districts covering all of Shelby County.

94. Schools Consolidation Group Wants Meeting With Suburban Mayors - Friday, February 03, 2012

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell warned the schools consolidation transition planning commission that it cannot ignore the issue of suburban municipal school districts as it draws up the blueprint for a consolidated countywide school system.

95. Obama's Health Overhaul Lags in Many States - Tuesday, January 24, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Here's a reality check for President Barack Obama's health overhaul: Three out of four uninsured Americans live in states that have yet to figure out how to deliver on its promise of affordable medical care.

96. House Passes Symbolic Measure Against Debt Hike - Thursday, January 19, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans controlling the House have gone on record against President Barack Obama's decision to raise the government's borrowing cap by $1.2 trillion under powers Congress granted him in last year's bipartisan debt agreement.

97. Obama Takes on Big Government: 'It Has to Change' - Monday, January 16, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Seeking more power to shrink the government, President Barack Obama on Friday suggested smashing six economic agencies into one, an election-year idea intended to halt bureaucratic nightmares and force Republicans to back him on one of their own favorite issues.

98. The 'CES Curse?' Gadget Show has Poor Record - Monday, January 09, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – The largest trade show in the Americas must be a great place to show off new products, right? Wrong. The International Consumer Electronics Show is quickly becoming a launch pad for products that fall flat.

99. Nation Adds 200K Jobs in December Hiring Surge - Monday, January 09, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Four painful years after the Great Recession struck and wiped out 8.7 million jobs, the United States may finally be in an elusive pattern known as the virtuous cycle – an escalating loop of robust job growth, healthier spending and higher demand.

100. Tax Cut Lives: Congress Gives Last-Minute Approval - Monday, December 26, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – After weeks of bickering and doubt, Congress delivered a last-minute holiday tax cut extension to 160 million workers Friday along with further unemployment benefits for millions laid off in the nation's fierce recession and weak economic recovery. It was a convincing victory for President Barack Obama, a humbling retreat for House Republicans.